Ice maker with integral water recirculation means



June 21, 1966 D. F. swANsoN ICE MAKER WITH INTEGRAL WATER RECIRCULATION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov 2, 1964 7M m WW m U m d Nm/ A.' W W Nm mm mllr. Q II!! m .QN o IM Wm HHIIIIMVIHIII Q M @F.lvwllwlwdlw TW g n uw r l mm d lllll Ilvlm Il Y mlm. ww M M 1 .-1 yf l 11T A \i1|1r \1 QN Imm, @6W "wwf lmmll. S .HH mm k June 21, 1966 D. F. swANsoN 3,256,711

ICE MAKER WITH INTEGRAL WATER RECIRCULATION MEANS Filed Nov. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheen 2 United States Patent O M' 3,256,711 ICE MAKER WITH INTEGRAL WATER RECIRCULATION MEANS Donald F. Swanson, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 407,993 9 Claims. (Cl. S2- 348) This invention relates to an ice maker.

In the copending application of D. F. Swanson and W. G. Winkler, Serial No. 374,642, led June 12, 1964, Vand assigned to the same assignee as the present application, ythere is disclosed an ice maker comprising a chilled surface member in the form of a generally cylindrical, generally horizontally arranged evaporator shell over which water is frozen to form ice and rotatable ice removing means are employed for breaking the ice from the surface member so that it can fall into a receiver.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an ice maker of the above type having improved means for flowing walter over the chilled surface for freezing into ice.

AOther features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof as `shown in the accompanying drawings. AOf the drawings: v

FIGURE l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially through the center of an ice maker lembodying the invention Aand surrounding supporting structure.

`FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view .taken from the lefthand end of FIGURE 1 with the end of the bottom water receiver in section.

FIGURE 3 is a ventical sectional view taken along line 3-3 lof FIGURE 1. v

'As is explained in more detail in the above copending Swanson et al. application, the ice maker is adapted to be mountedgon an insulated wall 'of a refrigerated compartment 11 by means of a heat insulating tubular shell "12., Externally of the wall 10 there is provided a motor 13 and gear reducer 14 drive for an axial shaft 15 that `extends into the compartment 11.

l Fixedly mounted on the inner end of the tubular shell `12 is a substantially horizontal, substantially cylindrical Auid refrigerant is fed into the bottom of the evaporator 16 through a tube 17 and the interior of the shell 16 is ,maintained approximately full of liquid refrigerant.

Vaporized refrigerant then flows from the interior of the shell 16 by way of an exit tube 18. The tubes 17 and 18 are connected to conventional refrigeration apparatus (not shown).

As -is explained in the earlier application, water is frozen on the outer surface of the evaporator shell 16 and the resulting ice is removed therefrom by means of an ice remover 19 comprising a circular end plate 20 mounted on the outer end of the shaft for rotation therewith and an inner ring 21 that is slidably mounted ,on the inner end of the evaporator 16 adjacent'the heat shield 12. The ring 21 slides on a bearing 22. Extending between :the end plate and the opposite end ring 21 are a pair of elongated round metal rods 23 and 24, here shown as being substantially parallel *to the drive shaft 15 Vand arranged approximately 180 apant.

Y Patented June 21, 1966 ICC Rotation of the shaft 15 thereby rotates the ice remover 19 around the evaporator shell 16 so that the rods 23 and 24 crack the ice from the outer surface of the shell 16.

The principal difference between the ice maker of this l invention and that shown in the above-mentioned copending application is the water supply meansfor providing water on the outer surface of the evaporator shell 16 to be'frozen into ice.

.ow through the conduit 30 into the reservoir 26 and which is shut off when the rising water causes the oat 29 to rise to a predetermined level. Thus, the valve 28 and oat 29 which are shown diagrammatically constitute the customary ow level control. y

' Located above the top of the ice remover 19' so as not to interfere with the operation thereof is a water feed trough 31 (see FIGURE 1 extending longitudinally of the shell 16 and provided with spaced bottom openings 32 for flowing water onto the top of the evaporator shell 16. Excess water that is not frozen into ice on the shell drips into the reservoir 26 to be recirculated.

provided a vertical generally circular plate 36 which serves as wall means between the water wheel and both the -trough 31 and the main body of the reservoir 26.

The reservoir 26 is provided with an end extension 37 into which the bottom of the plate 36 and the water -wheel 33 extend. Water wheel 33 is driven by an extension 38 on the drive shaft 15 which passes through the wall means 36 and the waterwheel.

As mentioned earlier, the access openings 35 of the series of buckets 34 in the water wheel 33 open laterally toward the ice maker. These open ends are pressed Vagainst the vertical partition lplate 36 and the wheel is pressed against the plate 36 by means of a spring member 39 mounted on the end of the shaft extension 38 outwardly of the water wheel 33. This spring member 39 has a series of spring fingers 40 attached to and bearing against the water wheel 33 adjacent the periphery thereof. j

' In order to provide access .to the individual buckets as they are rotated in series by the drive shaft 15 and shaft extension 38 there is provided an access opening 41 vadjacent the bottom of the vertical plate 36 and an access opening 42 adjacent ythe Itop thereof. The opening 41 at the bottompermits water to How from the reservoir 26 3 into a bucket 34 while the opening 42 permits water to liow from the top bucket into .the water distributing trough 31.

With this construction, as the water wheel 33 is rotated by the motor 13 and gear reducer 14 through the shafit 15 and shaft extension 38 the buckets are filled at the bottom of the water wheel in series and then the water in a bucket is substantially sealed against spillage by the bucket bearing against the plate 36 after it has moved beyond .the inlet opening 41. Water is retained in the individual bucket until the bucket reaches the 'exit opening 42 where the water fiows out into the trough 31 for flow into the openings 41 onto the surface of :the evaporator shell 16. Any water that leaks from the bucket by means of an imperfect fit of the wheel 33 against the vertical plate 36 is caught by falling into 'the reservoir extension 37.

With this invention the water feed is provided by the same mechanism that operates the ice removing means 19 to provide a compact water circulating structure.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention .that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly Within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; powered means movable about said surface memberV for removing ice therefrom; a source of water beneath said surface member; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said source to the top of said chilled surface member for fio-w theerover back tovsaid source and comprising a series of buckets; and power transfer means for powering said elevating means from said removing means.

2. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; rotatable removing means movable about said surface member for removing ice therefrom; a source of water beneath said surface member; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said vsource to the top of said chilled surface member for iiow thereover back to said source and comprising a series of buckets; and power means for simultaneously rotating said removing means and said water elevating means.

3. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; rotatable removing means movable about said surface member for removing ice therefrom; a source of water including a reservoir beneath said surface member; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said reservoir to the top of said chilled surface member for flow thereover back to said reservoir and compri-sing a series of buckets; a water distributing member adjacent the top of said surface member for distributing water over said top; means providing access from said reservoir to an individual bucket adjacent the reservoir; and means providing access from an individual bucket to said water distributing member at a point adjacent said member, whereby rotation of said water elevating means lifts water by said series of buckets from said reservoir to said water distributing member.

4. The ice maker of claim 3 wherein common power means rotates said ice removing means and said water elevating means simultaneously.

5. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; rotatable removing means movable about said surface member for removing ice therefrom; a source of water including a reservoir beneath said surface member; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said reservoir to the top of said chilled surface member for liow thereover back to said reservoir and comprising a series of buckets; a water distributing member adjacent the top of said surface member for distributing water over said top; first wall means between said reservoir and said water elevating means; second wall means between said water distributing member and said water elevating means; means providing access from said reservoir -to an .individual bucket adjacent the reservoir through said first wall means; means providing access from an individual bucket to said water distributing member at a point adjacent said member through said second Wall means, whereby rotation of said water elevating means lifts water by said series of buckets from said reservoir to said water distributing member; and common power means for simultaneously rotating said removing means and said water elevating means.

6. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical,

` generally horizontal 4chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; rotatable removing means movable about said surface member for removing ice therelfrom; a source of water including a reservoir beneath said surface member; a water distributing member adjacent the top of said surface member for distributing water over said top; end closure members on said water distributing member and said reservoir lying in a substantially common and generally vertical plane; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said reservoir to the top of said chilled surface member for ow thereover back to said reservoir and comprising a series of buckets each having its access openin-g extending laterally toward said end closure members; means providing access from said reesrvoir to an individual bucket adjacent the reservoir through said reservoir end closure member; means providing access from an individual bucket to said water distributing member at a point adjacent said member through said distributing member end closure member, whereby rotation of said water elevating means lifts water by said series of buckets from Asaid reservoir to said water distributing member; and common power means for simultaneously rotating said ice removing means and said water elevating means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said end closure ymembers are parts of a common end plate against which said water elevating means is rotated, and spring means is provided urging said water elevating means against said end plate, said reservoir extending beneath said elevating means and end plate to catch water dripping therefrom.y

8. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical, generally horizontal chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; rotatable removing means movable about said surface member for removing ice therefrom; driving means for said removing means including a drive shaft substantially concentric to said cylindrical surface member and extending therebeyond; a source of water including a reservoir beneath said Isurface member; a water distributing member adjacent the top of said surface mem-ber for distributing water over said top; a generally vertical end plate through which said drive shaft extends and closing an end of each of said water distributing member and reservoir; an endless rotatable water elevating means for elevating water from said reservoir to the top of said chilled surface member for iiow thereover back t-o said source and comprising a series of buckets each having its access opening extending laterally toward said end plate, said water elevating -means being attached 5 ber through said end plate, whereby rotation of said water elevating means lifts water by said series of buckets from said reservoir to said water distributing member and said reservoir extending beneath said elevating means and end plate to catch Water dripping therefrom.

9. An ice maker, comprising: a generally cylindrical chilled surface member on which water freezes to form ice; powered means movable about said surface member for removing ice therefrom; a source of water beneath said surface member; water carrying means spatially separated from, but `structurally attached to said ice removing means and movable therewith for carrying water at atmospheric pressure from said source to the top of said chilled surface member for flow thereover; and drive means for powering said powered me-ans.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,712,734 7/1955 Lees 62-348 X ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. MEYER PERLIN, Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

9. AN ICE MAKER, COMPRISING: A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CHILLED SURFACE MEMBER ON WHICH WATER FREEZES TO FORM ICE, POWERED MEANS MOVABLE ABOUT SAID SURFACE MEMBER FOR REMOVING ICE THEREFROM; A SOURCE OF WATER SPATIALLY SAID SURFACE MEMBER; WATER CARRYING MEANS SPATIALLY SEPARATED FROM BUT STRUCTURALLY ATTACHED TO SAID ICE REMOVING MEANS AND MOVABLE THEREWITH FOR CARRYING WATER AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE TOP OF SAID CHILLED SURFACE MEMBER FOR FLOW THEREOVER; AND DRIVE MEANS FOR POWERING SAID POWERED MEANS. 